Erik EngleFeb 26, 2026
Engel predicts Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1 overall to the Raiders regardless of combine performance, expects Arvell Reese to potentially be the first edge rusher off the board (possibly No. 2 to the Jets), believes the 49ers will ultimately trade Mac Jones, thinks Tyreek Hill signs with the Chiefs, and views the 49ers as a Super Bowl contender.
Said on air, transcribed by us · Locked On 49ers (podcast)Hear the original
What Erik Engle said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromHe could get the lowest score of all time on the Wunderlich, and he would still go number one overall to the Raiders.
- Where it was said
- Locked On 49ers (podcast)
- The episode
- 49ERS SQUAD SHOW: LIVE FROM THE COMBINE, Trent Williams Moving On?
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidFeb 25
- GradedAug 13
- 1Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1“he could get the lowest score of all time on the Wunderlich, and he would still go number one overall to the Raiders”
- 2Mac Jones to move“Ultimately, I think it's the right idea to move Mac Jones... I I think that they end up trading him.”
- 3George Pickens to move to Dallas Cowboys“George Pickings would have been the prize, in free agency, but, obviously, he's gonna go back to Dallas”
- 4Tyreek Hill to move to Kansas City Chiefs“I think it's likely that he goes to the Chiefs and reunites there with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid”
- 5Arvell Reese to be 1st edge rusher off the board“he's already projected to to be potentially the first edge rusher off the board, maybe going as high as number two to the Jets”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 11 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 1 | 100 | 50 | — | |
| Mac Jones to move2 | Trade and Signing Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| George Pickens to move to Dallas Cowboys3 | Trade and Signing Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Tyreek Hill to move to Kansas City Chiefs4 | Trade and Signing Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Arvell Reese to be 1st edge rusher off the board5 | Position Order Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 1 hit · 4 waiting | 100 | 50 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive5 checkable claims — 3 trade and signing calls, 1 mock draft pick and 1 position order call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 5 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Their call against what happened
overall pickTheir call against what actually happened.
1Mock Draft PicksFernando MendozaLas Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza to be picked at number 1
What happenedWent 1mocked at 1100Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Fernando Mendoza
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
2Trade and Signing CallsMac Jones
Mac Jones to move
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Trade and Signing CallsGeorge PickensDallas Cowboys
George Pickens to move to Dallas Cowboys
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Trade and Signing CallsTyreek HillKansas City Chiefs
Tyreek Hill to move to Kansas City Chiefs
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Position Order CallsArvell Reese
Arvell Reese to be 1st edge rusher off the board
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks.Joshua Poniatowski · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Poniatowski names several trade targets, predicting Malik Willis underperforms this week against New England, that Omarion Hampton could become a viable RB2 if Adam Gase takes over play-calling, that Josh Downs gets traded (ideally to Kansas City, where they'd be a top-24 WR), that Brian Thomas Jr. could be dealt to the Rams or 49ers, and that Travis Kelce remains a consistent weekly TE.Jordan Dajani · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
After reporting that Colts receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, they identify five clubs as plausible landing spots for them: the Rams, Patriots, Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders, and suggests Las Vegas could also give them a long-term extension.Mike Kadlick · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Kadlick names the Chiefs, Patriots and 49ers as the three best trade landing spots for Colts wide receiver Josh Downs ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
More trade and signing calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.Patricia Traina · Trade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Traina expects defensive tackle to be a top need for the Giants in next year's draft, and suggests the Giants could trade J.J. McCarthy next offseason — or keep both them and Jaxson Dart if the return isn't good enough. They also expect Dart to make a full recovery.Michael David Smith · Trade and Signing Calls · Keenan Allen · Hit 100
Smith suggests the Colts are likely to grant Josh Downs' trade request given their contract situation and their recent sell-off, and that they could also try to trade Keenan Allen.Noah Compton · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Compton expects the rebuilding Colts to keep dealing veterans before the November 10 deadline, naming Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs and Grover Stewart as the likeliest remaining trade candidates, and believes Indianapolis should and likely will move on from quarterback Daniel Jones, while Shane Steichen keeps starting Jones in the meantime.